Bract

(hay rattle). All the "leaves" in this image are bracts. In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look different from the parts of the flower, such as the petals or sepals. A plant having bracts is referred to as bracteate or bracteolate, while one that lacks them is referred to as ebracteate or ebracteolate.

(hay rattle). All the "leaves" in this image are bracts.]] In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look different from the parts of the flower, such as the petals or sepals. A plant having bracts is referred to as bracteate or bracteolate, while one that lacks them is referred to as ebracteate or ebracteolate. ==Variants== Some bracts are brightly coloured which aid in the attraction of pollinators, either together with the perianth or instead of it. Examples of this type of bract include those of Euphorbia pulcherrima (poinsettia) and Bougainvillea: both of these have large colourful bracts surrounding much smaller, less colourful flowers. In grasses, each floret (flower) is enclosed in a pair of papery bracts, called the lemma (lower bract) and palea (upper bract), while each spikelet (group of florets) has a further pair of bracts at its base called glumes. These bracts form the chaff that is usually removed from cereal grain during threshing and winnowing. Bats may detect acoustic signals from dish-shaped bracts such as those of Marcgravia evenia. A prophyll is a leaf-like structure, such as a bracteole, subtending (extending under) a single flower or pedicel. The term can also mean the lower bract on a peduncle. The frequently showy pair of bracts of Euphorbia species in subgenus Lacanthis are the cyathophylls. Bracts subtend the cone scales in the seed cones of many conifers, and in some cases, such as Pseudotsuga, extend beyond the cone scales. == Bracteole== A small bract is called a bracteole or bractlet. Technically this is any bract that arises on a pedicel instead of subtending it. ==Epicalyx== An epicalyx (which forms an additional whorl around the calyx of a single flower) is a modification of bracteoles. In other words, the epicalyx is a group of bracts resembling a calyx or bracteoles forming a whorl outer to the calyx. It is a calyx-like extra whorl of floral appendages. Each individual segment of the epicalyx is called an episepal because they resemble the sepals in them. They are present in the hibiscus family, Malvaceae. Fragaria (strawberries) may or may not have an epicalyx. inflorescence with spathe and spadix]] ==Spathe== A spathe is a large bract or a pair of bracts that forms a sheath to enclose the flower cluster of plants such as palms, arums, irises, crocuses and dayflowers (Commelina). Zephyranthes tubispatha in the Amaryllidaceae derives its specific name from its tubular spathe. In many arums (family Araceae), the spathe is petal-like, attracting pollinators to the flowers arranged on a type of spike called a spadix. ==External links==

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1310033555 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.